The Godfather
Showing posts with label Arts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Arts. Show all posts
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Friday, December 25, 2009
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Stories from North Augusta
| BY STACEY EIDSON |
OPINION With more than 45 writers submitting their work in the third annual Metro Spirit Short Story Contest, I’m pleased to announce that Jonathan Jaffe of North Augusta is this year’s grand prize winner. Jaffe’s short story, “Child’s Game,” about a group of competitive college friends, stirred up the most conversation and received the majority of votes in our office. As this year’s grand prize winner, Jaffe will receive $100 in cash and a free registration to Augusta State University’s Sandhills Writers Conference. The conference will be held March 18-20 and it is a prize valued at $156, generously donated by ASU. For more information about the Sandhills Conference, please check outsandhills.aug.edu. In second place was the story, “A Day in an Afterlife” by Joseph Miles, about a man’s strange encounter in a graveyard. Coming in third was Lindsey Wise’s emotional story about the death of a woman’s first love and her fight to stay strong at his funeral. After learning she came in third, Wise, of Aiken, could not have been more excited. “It is a very personal story to me and I’m honored that you selected that one,” she said. “This was actually the first time I have ever submitted any of my writing to a publication, after much hounding from friends. So, it really is a treat for me to be selected as one of your favorites. It means a lot to me.” These three stories can be found inside the print edition of this issue. Due to space requirements, the Metro Spirit’s fourth and fifth place winners can be found on our online edition at metrospirit.com. In fourth place, was Daniel Costello’s short story “The Rag,” which deals with the frustrations of the newspaper industry and the turmoil employees experience after being laid off. Rounding out the top five stories was Tom Turner’s story “Two Together,” about a woman looking for a new home after the death of her husband. We want to congratulate all the winners and participants in this year’s short story contest. We thoroughly enjoyed reading each and every one of the submissions. So, while you are enjoying your Christmas cookies and eggnog, put your feet up, relax and have a good read. Of course, just one short week after Santa Claus pops down your chimney on Christmas Eve, it will be time to ring in 2010. One week doesn’t give you much time to plan, so the Metro Spirit has decided to help you out. Between now and the publication of the New Year’s Eve issue, the Spirit writers will be hitting the streets talking to some of the town’s professional bartenders to find out their favorite drink to celebrate the traditional ball drop in Times Square. We will feature those drinks and their recipes in our Dec. 30 issue. So, happy holidays everyone! Get ready for 2010. |
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_uiB8tQ12wOPdSvpLvjYiMMjSrlOcMhqbQ1pvYlWaIJynSC_E88WrwdwGMMgniKzXVZguUxBDPH0fNWCMUxxfQ3JIWQEqL8nYErSMnvb_jW6w4wt8v1ybvdctEOZIBOSWRY6aUc4E8nqOiCZkgfEoUq=s0-d)
Saturday, December 12, 2009
How serious do you want to be?
A Serious Man: A Seriously Fine Film
Asher Goldstein
2 months ago
Comments (0)
Flag this This past weekend, I was one of the many audience members who flocked to see the Coen Brothers' newest outing A Serious Man. The film, in limited release, managed to pull in an impressive $41,918 per screen average. As this second weekend of release comes upon us, so does my chance to get myself out to the cinema and once again see this eye-thumbing look at what is nothing less than an existential American nightmare.
The film follows a middle class Jewish college professor who finds himself at odds with every element of his life: his kids are repulsively irreverent, his job is thankless, his neighbors pay him little respect or attention, and his over-bearing wife gives him gut-checking notice that she is leaving him for one of their family friends. He is the prototypical helpless American male--weighed down by the social constructs that supposedly give a sense of anchoring to our society.
The story is told deftly by the Brothers Coen with the masterful aid of ever impressing cinematographer Roger Deakins, whose concise camera work and lighting illuminate a carefully constructed world that brims with life thanks to the always fantastic work of costumer and production designer Mary Zophres and Jess Gonchor, respectively. So in short: this is a damn good movie, one whose story is told way more than adequately and with a highly attentive technique of craft, both from the below the line crew and the films performers alike. That said, what struck me most--and, as it seems, most people I've spoken to--are the ideas presented throughout.
Frankly speaking, to an extent this is a very Jewish, and more specifically American Jewish, film and at the same time, not one whatsoever.
I've read that the film is supposedly likened to being the "most personal" of the Coens' work as there are clear references to what need be nothing but their own autobiography speaking (if the filmmakers, who were raised in a Jewish household, grew up in one that were Catholic instead, their main character would surely find the testaments of his priest being as ridiculous and confusing as our hero’s Rabbi).
Of the folks I've spoken with, many have been frankly offended by what they've seen, generally for religious reasons. The film is set in the world of a tightly knit Jewish American community and observed with a sharply satirical eye--suggesting that the wholesome, wisdom-seeking tradition of Judaism can be just as faltering and plainly useless as many of the other traditions that are observed in this world of ours. At the film's heart, the writers are inherently suggesting that human beings are subjected to a world that is nothing but suffering-inducing, harrowing, and uncaring. Furthermore, any attempt to explain or fashion some sort of wisdom from the dire events that fill our lives will inevitably either cause one to fall to the chains of ignorant comforts (religion, and moreover, human constructions of family, home, love, occupation) or will send one off into a fit of panicked desperation until we find strength in the idea that it is all essentially meaningless. Religious, and cultural for that matter, traditions are ridiculed as useless distractions and the only "out" that said practices get occurs in one scene, in one movement, in one shot for that matter. Such an instance infers that while faith and other such constructs are generally time and soul wasting, they do provide for our meager-selves a way to experience catharsis and allow humanity to come together, giving us reason to seek the shelter of one another, even if shelter is rooted in nothing more than the stuff of make believe.
Cheery, no? The somber ideas presented are lightened by the darkened comedy that fits well into the canon of these fine auteurs, though because of its heavy, heavy references to American Judaism, it could be a bit difficult for wider audiences to find the same attraction as they did to the masterful No Country For Old Men. In short, if you are either a fan of the Coen Brothers or are simply one who enjoys thought-provoking cinema, this is certainly not one to pass up. In my eyes, this film belongs alongside the work of other existentialist authors and artists. It certainly firms up my belief that Camus or Hardy would be proud to see the Coens added to their ranks any day.
The Coens lended their filmmaking abilities to this commercial spot for the Al Gore's Reality Coalition, which seeks to spread the truth about so-called "clean coal" technologies and how this moniker is nothing more than an oxymoron. For more info on the truth behind "clean coal" visit the The Reality Coalition's website. Take Action Learn more about The Reality Coalition, an organization the Coen brothers support.
Asher Goldstein
2 months ago
Comments (0)
Flag this This past weekend, I was one of the many audience members who flocked to see the Coen Brothers' newest outing A Serious Man. The film, in limited release, managed to pull in an impressive $41,918 per screen average. As this second weekend of release comes upon us, so does my chance to get myself out to the cinema and once again see this eye-thumbing look at what is nothing less than an existential American nightmare.
The film follows a middle class Jewish college professor who finds himself at odds with every element of his life: his kids are repulsively irreverent, his job is thankless, his neighbors pay him little respect or attention, and his over-bearing wife gives him gut-checking notice that she is leaving him for one of their family friends. He is the prototypical helpless American male--weighed down by the social constructs that supposedly give a sense of anchoring to our society.
The story is told deftly by the Brothers Coen with the masterful aid of ever impressing cinematographer Roger Deakins, whose concise camera work and lighting illuminate a carefully constructed world that brims with life thanks to the always fantastic work of costumer and production designer Mary Zophres and Jess Gonchor, respectively. So in short: this is a damn good movie, one whose story is told way more than adequately and with a highly attentive technique of craft, both from the below the line crew and the films performers alike. That said, what struck me most--and, as it seems, most people I've spoken to--are the ideas presented throughout.
Frankly speaking, to an extent this is a very Jewish, and more specifically American Jewish, film and at the same time, not one whatsoever.
I've read that the film is supposedly likened to being the "most personal" of the Coens' work as there are clear references to what need be nothing but their own autobiography speaking (if the filmmakers, who were raised in a Jewish household, grew up in one that were Catholic instead, their main character would surely find the testaments of his priest being as ridiculous and confusing as our hero’s Rabbi).
Of the folks I've spoken with, many have been frankly offended by what they've seen, generally for religious reasons. The film is set in the world of a tightly knit Jewish American community and observed with a sharply satirical eye--suggesting that the wholesome, wisdom-seeking tradition of Judaism can be just as faltering and plainly useless as many of the other traditions that are observed in this world of ours. At the film's heart, the writers are inherently suggesting that human beings are subjected to a world that is nothing but suffering-inducing, harrowing, and uncaring. Furthermore, any attempt to explain or fashion some sort of wisdom from the dire events that fill our lives will inevitably either cause one to fall to the chains of ignorant comforts (religion, and moreover, human constructions of family, home, love, occupation) or will send one off into a fit of panicked desperation until we find strength in the idea that it is all essentially meaningless. Religious, and cultural for that matter, traditions are ridiculed as useless distractions and the only "out" that said practices get occurs in one scene, in one movement, in one shot for that matter. Such an instance infers that while faith and other such constructs are generally time and soul wasting, they do provide for our meager-selves a way to experience catharsis and allow humanity to come together, giving us reason to seek the shelter of one another, even if shelter is rooted in nothing more than the stuff of make believe.
Cheery, no? The somber ideas presented are lightened by the darkened comedy that fits well into the canon of these fine auteurs, though because of its heavy, heavy references to American Judaism, it could be a bit difficult for wider audiences to find the same attraction as they did to the masterful No Country For Old Men. In short, if you are either a fan of the Coen Brothers or are simply one who enjoys thought-provoking cinema, this is certainly not one to pass up. In my eyes, this film belongs alongside the work of other existentialist authors and artists. It certainly firms up my belief that Camus or Hardy would be proud to see the Coens added to their ranks any day.
The Coens lended their filmmaking abilities to this commercial spot for the Al Gore's Reality Coalition, which seeks to spread the truth about so-called "clean coal" technologies and how this moniker is nothing more than an oxymoron. For more info on the truth behind "clean coal" visit the The Reality Coalition's website. Take Action Learn more about The Reality Coalition, an organization the Coen brothers support.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Sunday, December 6, 2009
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_t4OLI4WK8IQ2gOCEGsHRR5ISaO0JdP1tgPc2aYXmLjBPIxr0arY_qmTLBxNxQW8f_AB68Zo1xlQ99Nuf-k9Nr4KrkdqdmFn8UOO0oA2RJAwza9lbbaU5P_m4I_EgPkX0k3EHK8EYdQTjNc3n9wcOpb=s0-d)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)